Susanne Knight

We will miss her forever...

Daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, grandmother… Susanne no middle name Boetjer was born on Wednesday, 24 March 1948, in Normal, Illinois. She passed away peacefully, Susie B. Knight, early in the morning of Tuesday, 14 April 2026 (her taxes already filed).

She was a loving, left-handed, right-brained, creative, curious, imaginative, tree climbing, barrel racing, cheerleading, keg standing, Jägermeister shot taking, adventurous sailor who never saw a cardboard box as just a box. She turned appliance and furniture cartons into forts and barns, once made an entire biblical city for summer bible camp, and turned gallon milk jugs into an igloo reading nook for kindergarteners. A den mother and soccer mom, she organized boy scout fundraisers and planned all-night graduation parties, even when she didn’t have a kid in the graduating class.

Horse crazy as a young girl, she spent the summer of ‘61 riding across the arid plains of eastern Colorado and lit up when talking about the rodeo announcer saying her name on the PA system before she galloped across the arena around barrels and back out again, never falling once. 

Captain of the first cheerleader squad at Truman High, she once met the former president while working at his library in Independence. At Southwest “Missoura” State Susie again captained the cheerleaders and studied elementary education and learned American Sign Language. She married Bill even after a disastrous freshman year first date where he stood her up for what was supposed to be the second half of their outing

. 

Married in the former frontier town of Independence, MO, the Army then did what the Army does – New Jersey, West Germany, Augusta, and Fort Lee. An unaccompanied tour to South Korea coincided with the loss of her mother and time spent back home in Missouri. Another tour at Fort Lee was followed by a most non-traditional five years in the Northern Virginia suburbs and then back to Army quarters on a Kaserne in West Germany. 10 months in Carlisle at the War College and then back to Burke. Finally, a joke about retiring to Hilton Head became a reality in 2000. 

An Army wife for thirty years who didn’t fit the traditional mold, she was known to offer Rice Krispie Treats to soldiers waiting their turn for an Article 15 ass chewing from the “old man.” 

She never lived down the time she forcefully declined a second helping at the dinner table from her force of nature mother-in-law. “I DO NOT WANT ANY CORN MAXINE!” Another time she declined dessert and Bill ended up with a face full of pie. 

After spending so many Christmases and summer vacations at Hilton Head Island, retiring there was a surprising and not-at-all-surprising choice. The nearly twenty-six years living on the island were the longest she lived anywhere and Susie found community and friendship at the Yacht Club, Habitat for Humanity Women BUILD projects, water aerobics, and the monthly meetings of the Sunday Sippers. 

Rivers and oceans remain a fine way to see the world and allowed Susie to set foot on seven continents. She spent over fifty years on a succession of boats starting with a green MacGregor 22, a MacGregor 25, a Hunter 35.5, the occasional Caribbean cats, European river barges, and ocean-going cruise ships. Her trips are too numerous to list, but crossing the Drake Passage and experiencing the sounds and smells of Antarctic penguins remained a highlight. Seeing the northern lights in Norway just a few months ago was another bucket list item checked. 

Mother to two boys who found plenty of ways to challenge her (mostly Brian if we’re being honest). Those boys eventually built families of their own… a couple of wives and four grandchildren, spanning ages twelve to two (the youngest two belonging to the oldest son because again, why not add more challenges?). Those grandchildren were never without an art project, homemade play doh, a baking project, or a bedtime story when Nana, her chosen title, was around.  In the end she was so, so very brave.

Survived by her husband, Bill, two sons, Brian and Shawn, two daughters-in-law, Leah and Christy, four grandchildren, Virginia, Louise, Forrest, and Savannah, and her sister Jackie. 

A Celebration of Life will be held honoring Susie at Dolphin Head Pavilion (Recreation Center) on Friday, May 1, 2026, from 1-3 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Hilton Head Habitat for Humanity.